Wonder Crew: A Boy’s Best Friend

I received this Wonder crew buddy for free to review. All opinions are my own as always! You may also see some affiliate links here and there. I may be compensated by you clicking the links, at no cost to you. Feel free to check out my disclosure for more information!

What is it about boys playing with dolls that people seem to think is so wrong? I never understood this. We are taught at a young age that dolls and babies and tea sets are for girls. Boys play with dirt and trucks and blocks. That’s just how things work. If a boy was seen playing with dolls or tea sets when I was growing up, he would get made fun of. Sometimes by his own family members!

I am happy to see that things have started changing in society regarding gender equality. I’m all about women’s rights (however I wouldn’t consider myself a feminist by any means) but I think in the uproar over girls getting equal rights, boys are all but forgotten. Many people don’t think this way, but far too many people still do. They think that the girls are the ones that need saving (or excuse me, that don’t need saving…). Boys are fine, they are tough and strong and most importantly, boys don’t cry.

Now that I have a son of my own I realize how truly unfair it is. I had some people tease me for making my son a play kitchen for Christmas. What? Boys can’t be good cooks? Should I just not let him play with it until a girl comes over to play so she can cook for him? Yeah, that’s not sexist either…

“Your son plays with dolls? Don’t you think that will make him weak and girly?” UM…NO. My own brother in law threw a fit when he heard that Leopold chose a baby doll and a vacuum cleaner for his birthday gifts. He said some pretty ugly stuff about what Leopold would become by playing with those things. He then mentioned that he was going to ‘fix him’ by taking him kickboxing and shooting.

Wanna guess who in my family won’t be babysitting anytime soon?

I want my son to enjoy cooking! My husband hates being in the kitchen and it is EXHAUSTING having to cook every meal! The times when he has cooked…well…let’s just say I don’t necessarily want him cooking. I love my husband but I don’t want Leopold growing up to be helpless and completely unskilled in the kitchen.

I love that my son likes to help clean up. So he loves his toy vacuum and takes pleasure in sweeping…tell me again why that’s a problem?

He recently inherited my old Playskool dollhouse that I got for Christmas when I was 5 or 6. Sure, it’s mostly pink and full of dolls, but he LOVES playing with it. How is there harm in imaginative play of any kind? He is growing his little brain every time he makes up a story using his dolls.

Imaginative play fosters creativity. Playing with baby dolls encourages kids to be caring, nurturing and loving.

My son has a few baby dolls.

We have baby Ted, baby Marshall, and now, baby Will. He loves toting his dolls around and pushing them in his doll stroller! By playing with dolls he is learning how to be gentle and kind, and hopefully he will remember these skills when he has a baby brother or sister around!

One day, many of our sons will be daddies. Playing with dolls now may very well help them to prepare for having their own child down the line.

My husband was incredibly uncomfortable with Leopold for probably the first 8 months of his life. I remember around that time him saying to me “I’m really starting to love Leopold”. While that sounds a little ridiculous to many, I can kind of understand how he meant it. He just wasn’t raised to think anything about babies. He never really had to care for any, and I’m almost certain he didn’t play with dolls when he was small. Part of me wonders if maybe he would have been more hands on if he had!

So yes, my son plays with dolls and cooks in his kitchen and vacuums the carpet.

But he also loves helping his daddy fix the car or things that break in the house. He loves trains, cars and airplanes. He loves to toss balls around and ride his balance bikes. His absolute favorite thing is his toy animals and he is constantly making them go on adventures. They have even started taking some blame for his naughtiness! (No mama, Lion did it) I think so far he is pretty well rounded!

Wonder crew are great tools to use for your son (or daughter) who shows interest in dolls. The body is soft and snuggly and the head and arms and legs are hard plastic. They are the perfect sidekick for adventures or difficult times in your toddlers life. These ‘dolls’ are called the Wonder crew because people tend to associate ‘dolls’ with girls, or even just negatively when it comes to their little boys. If we change how we refer to them, it may change someone’s outlook. These boys are the perfect mix of a stuffed toy and an action figure!

They come wearing red pajamas and a Wonder crew cape. In the box you will find a superhero mask for both the doll and your child, as well as a cape for your child! They sell expansion packs (there are three right now) each containing matching adventure gear for your child and their buddy.

I chose the Will Wonder Crew buddy for Leopold because it had features that most closely resembled my son. In the photos Will looks super tan next to Leopold’s bright white skin!

I was sent the construction worker expansion pack and I decided to set it aside for Christmas! Leopold will be so excited to open it up on Christmas morning!

Wonder Crew is up for the Toy of the Year Award! Please visit this link to vote for these awesome buddies!

You can find Wonder crew friends at Target, or shop online from the Wonder crew website! They are also sold on Amazon, and I’ll set up some links below for your convenience (there is a James doll too which is not listed on Amazon)!

I love that your little one plays and does both boy and girl things! I think that will make him well rounded and incredibly comfortable with women. My husband is the cook in our house and I am so blessed that he enjoys it and understands that it is best for our family if he cooks! All because his mom taught him to cook!!

I'm just a twenty something stay at home mama trying to do my very best to be awesome at my job. I love Harry Potter, crafting, coffee, red wine and stretchy pants. I used to be a world traveler but I've settled down (for now) to have babies. I'm married to my best friend James and I'm a dog mom to Niko (Goldendoodle) and Rahksi (Chinese Crested). Read More…